Chasidut sobre Jeremías 1:5

Accustom yourself to your holy thoughts and higher outlook, as described above. Now please contrast the lofty state of earlier times as opposed to our lowly state now. For according to what is apparent from the Prophets and the Writings, prophecy was not something unusual, a novelty or a wonder. When God wanted to inform Manoach and his wife of the [future] birth of their son, Samson, he did not inform them by way of a dream or a heavenly voice (bat kol). For what is the point of all these things, when He can send an angel to them? And if once was not enough, He sent it a second time - even though Manoach and his wife were not greats among the Jewish people, as the Sages, may their memory be blessed, have said. But were they not still Israelites - they were still among the holy people. And so they were able to see and speak to the angel, like one man to another - this one asks and that one answers. King Saul also prophesied among the band of prophets, even though he was not a prophet and it was before he became king. And not only him; but when he sent his messengers to chase King David and they came to Samuel the prophet and his students, the sons of the prophets, the spirit came upon them and they also prophesied. And it appears that it was not only to save David that God had the spirit of prophecy rest upon them. For He would not have changed bloodthirsty pursuers into prophets in order to save him. He would have rather done a different miracle, as He did other times when He saved him. But why is there a need for miracles and changing nature here? The Holy One, blessed be He, does not do miracles for no reason, if there is something as simple as making them into prophets [available] here. Were they not Israelites? When they distance themselves from their Source, they become more physical; but when they are alongside prophets, they too experience prophecy sprouting forth from them. And even when Saul chased after [David]; when he came to [the prophets], he prophesied the whole night. Moreover, the Sages, may their memory be blessed, said (Megillah 14a:11) that the prophets were twice as many as the [Israelite men] that came out of Egypt, meaning that there were 1,200,000 prophets in Israel. But they were not recorded in the verses, since only prophecy that was needed for [future] generations was written down; whereas prophecy that was not needed for [future] generations was not written down. And it is stated in Midrash Shir haShirim that this number was only during the generation of Elijah the prophet, and it did not include the prophets from other generations. The advantage of the prophet over other Israelites was that he was always a prophet, such that the level of his prophecy was much greater than theirs. To illustrate: Today there are tzaddikim that are always tzaddikim and serve God greatly - each one according to his level. Yet there is no getting away from the fact that there is righteousness (tzedekah) and divine service in every Jew, at least sometimes. And if their righteousness is not like the righteousness of the tzaddik, it is service and righteousness nevertheless. So too was it with prophecy in earlier times: The forty-eight prophets, who were recorded, rose to becoming great prophets - each one according to his level. They were permanent prophets, as it is stated in the verse (Jeremiah 1:5), "I have given you as a prophet unto the nations." But to receive prophecy once, at a time of need - as in the case of Manoach and his wife; or when they were among the prophets - every Israelite was able to merit that. For were the Israelites not close to God in earlier days? So the apertures of the Heavens were open, and the Father spoke with the children for any need.